Women's Ice Hockey

Quinnipiac’s Offense Powers Bobcats Past Brown, 3-0

Dec 02, 2011

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In the second meeting of the 2011-12 season between Quinnipiac and Brown on Friday night at Meehan Auditorium, it was the Bobcats that came away with victory, netting an early goal in the second period, before scoring two late in the third for a 3-0 ECAC Hockey win. Quinnipiac takes the season series after the two teams tied, 2-2 (OT), on Nov. 5, in Hamden, Conn.

Under constant fire throughout the contest, sophomore goalie Aubree Moore (Bowie, Md.) made 42 saves, but the Bobcats were able to get the go-ahead goal in the second, even though it took an official review to prove that the puck did indeed cross the line.

Brown falls to 3-4-3, 1-3-3 on the season, while Quinnipiac improves to 10-7-1, 6-2-1, taking over first-place in the ECAC.

After the first five minutes went by with the Bobcats out-shooting the Bears 7-2, a Brown holding infraction at 6:00 in the first gave Quinnipiac the first power play of the game. Despite two more shots on goal, the Bears penalty kill unit was able to stand up, keeping Quinnipiac off the board.

Sophomore Laurie Jolin (Lachine, Montreal) nearly put the Bears up at 8:40 in, with a wrap-around attempt on the Bobcat net, but Quinnipiac goalie Victoria Vigilanti was able to make her fourth save of the game with a superb sprawling effort to preserve the stalemate.

Brown went on the player advantage after a tripping call on Quinnipiac at 17:17, but only got 1:19 of the power play before a slashing call on the Bears made it 4-on-4 hockey.

As was the case in the first time these two teams met in Hamden, Conn., earlier this season, Quinnipiac held the advantage in total shots, this time 16-6 after one, but neither team could find the back of the net.

The Bears started the second on the PK, but quickly killed off the remaining seconds of the player advantage for Quinnipiac to get back to full strength.

An early turnover by the Bears in behind the net in their own zone led to a Chelsea Illchuk point-blank shot on net and would have been a Bobcat lead, but Moore was able to make the sensational save to keep the deadlock at zero.

Just a minute and a half later, a pile up in front of the Brown net lead to a whistle, but the referees went to the replay and determined that the puck did cross the line. The goal was credited to reigning ECAC Player and Rookie of the Year, Kelly Babstock.

Brown got a good opportunity to tie up the score at 7;24 in the second after an interference call on the Bobcats put the Bears on the power play. Senior co-captain Paige Pyett (Milestone, Saskatchewan) was able to put a solid blast into a slapshot near the blueline at the start of the advantage, but Vigilanti was able to fend off the Brown attach again.

Quinnipiac controlled the puck for much of the period, out-shooting Brown again, 17-5 in the second fame, but the Bobcats could not find a way to get another past Moore.

Brown got its opportunity to tie it at 6:02 in the third on an interference call by Quinnipiac, but it was the Bobcat penalty kill unit that stood tall, keeping the Bears off kilter for two minutes and off the scoreboard.

With just 8:03 remaining in regulation, Quinnipiac got its insurance goal as Bethany Dymarczyk went five-hole on Moore, off the pass from Shelby Wignall.

Just over two minutes later, Brittany Lyons put the Bobcats up 3-0 with her fourth goal of the season.

Facing a big deficit, Brown pulled the goalie with over five minutes left, looking for any advantage it could get, before a Bobcat penalty at 14:57 gave the Bears a 5-on-4. Unfortunately the Bears could only get off three shots against the staunch Quinnipiac penalty kill.

Brown takes on Ivy League rival Princeton tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m., as Brown University celebrates the 50th Anniversary of George V. Meehan Auditorium.